Paraplegia is a condition in which the lower
part of a patient's body is paralyzed and cannot move. Paraplegia is often
caused by an injury to the spinal cord, such as those resulting from a
motor vehicle accident, gunshot wounds and falls. Paraplegia can also be
caused by non-traumatic factors such as spinal tumors, scoliosis, and
spina
bifida. Immediately after the spinal cord injury, the loss of movement,
sensation, and reflexes below the level of the spinal cord injury can
occur. Sexual dysfunction and loss of bowel and bladder control may also
occur, depending on where the spinal cord injury occurred and if the spinal
cord was completely cut or partially cut. Unfortunately, there is no
specific treatment at this time to reverse paraplegia. Instead, treatment
is aimed at problems associated with paraplegia.
People with paraplegia and other spinal cord
injuries are more likely to get viruses or diseases than the average
person. For example, pneumonia and septicemia are frequent causes of death
for people with spinal cord injuries. Pneumonia is inflammation of the
lungs due to infection. Septicemia is poisoning of the blood due to an
infection that has spread throughout the body.
Another cause of death frequently seen in
people with paraplegia is due to a pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism
is a blockage of an artery that goes from the heart to the lungs. The
blockage is due to a mass of blood, known as a blood clot. The condition
can be life threatening because it can lead to the inability to breathe.
Blood clots are most likely to form when circulation is limited.
Circulation improves when the muscles move. Because there is a loss of the
ability to move the leg muscles in paraplegia, there is always the risk of
a blood clot traveling from a vein in the leg to the heart. People with
quadriplegia are at a much greater risk of suffering from these
complications than those suffering from paraplegia.
For related
information go to:
Back
Injuries,
Motor Vehicle Accidents,
Nerve Injuries,
Pain
and
Quadriplegia.
At
Cheong, Denove, Rowell & Bennett, we believe the more
you know, the better choice you will make.
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